In application Ser. No. 552,396, which was filed on Feb. 24, 1975 by the present inventors, and assigned to the same assignee, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,904,986 a laser tube end assembly is disclosed, said assembly comprising a laser mirror sealed to each end of the laser tube, the seal withstanding the relatively high temperatures utilized to remove the contaminents from the laser tube during fabrication thereof. This patent application is hereby incorporated by reference for all the teachings therein which relate to the present application in order to fulfill adequacy of disclosure.
The mirrors on the ends of a laser tube, whether forming part of the laser tube itself, are internally mounted mirrors, or are externally mounted mirrors, must be accurately aligned with each other to allow the reflection necessary for the lasing action to be most efficient. Because of the many stresses that a laser tube is put during the manufacturing thereof; that is, the various heating, and evacuation steps, could cause small but definite changes in the tube configuration which would change whatever preinstallation assembly made for the alignment of the mirrors. Even if the mirrors are adjusted, if they are adjustable at all, after the laser tube is completely assembled, the hazards of shipping lasers from one point to another, including all the various vibrations and bumps even with modern delivery techniques, the mirrors may get out of alignment.
Therefore, the need exists for a laser mirror assembly wherein the end assembly is adjustable to allow the mirror, or mirrors, to be fully adjustable within a fairly broad range of adjustment so that the laser can both be aligned at manufacture for testing purposes and can again be realigned in the field, if necessary, in the equipment in which the lasers are to be utilized, at a later date.